handmethehammer, what price range are the high end homes in your neighborhood? Just trying to get an idea. Thanks in advance.

The homes I saw with the vinyl plank floors were between $500,000 and $700,000. I would say anything above $450,000 is in the higher end of the market.

homes i am aware of that have vinyl plank flooring range from 150,000 to 1.5 million south of houston tx which is known to have less expensive real estate prices 3 of the 4 range from 450 thousand to 1.5 million surprisingly the more expensive the home, the more vinyl plank was used

Interesting to hear zippity that the more expensive houses used more of the LVT.

Here in the area of SW FL that both keywest and I are building in, higher end starts at about $750,000 and can go up into the multi-millions if on the water.

I've been looking at these planks for a basement and find tile too cold. Are both glued down and click-together suitable, just in case there may be water coming into the basement? Also, what about recommendations regarding brands/type, e.g. Allure, Allure Plus, or Ultra?

Unless you think you will be selling in the near future put in what you like. I put Amtico vinyl wood look planks in my kitchen, eating area, and laundry room in 2004. It's glued down. In 12 years I haven't gotten a single tear or gorge on the floor, it's very durable. It will scratch but not badly. My kitchen gets morning sun and it hasn't faded at all. I would use it again.

If you are not going to move, do what you like. If I were buying a house and it had vinyl flooring, I would plan on removing it and doing hardwood, tile or carpet (in bdms), and make my offer with that reno in mind.

We don't have a high-end Florida house...an older (70s) ranch. Previous owners used LVT in master and its bath, main living areas but not in guest bedrooms or utility room and guest bath. We really like the flooring for its ease of maintenance. The problem we have is that they installed 3 styles--two different wood-look finishes and 1 that is 12" grayish tiles...we would have MUCH preferred doing the entire house in one pattern. I guess they choose 3 styles to separate zones but IMO it makes a 2000 sq ft house seem smaller.

But would totally recommend it over ceramic tile for Florida home.

Make sure you get brand that has UV resistance--depending on light coming in from Windows/sliders, LVT can fade over time...get quality installation and buy xtra portion in case you do any remodeling or have problems. We remodeled master bath (was all original) and could not buy more of flooring in there...we didn't want to have another flooring style in addition so made some design choices we didn't really want to to save 2K (cost/labor) for replacing all LVT in master suite...

I'm really liking the thought of installing this flooring but wonder how it holds up to large dogs. Anyone have any advice?

I'd love to see some photos of this flooring laid!

Here's ours. Holding up well to two dogs, in case kelsie94 is still asking.

Could someone please just ell me what the most natural looking LVT in a dark color is?? I read everything, but there are SO many choices and I am driving my husbamnd crazy! Thanks a bunch!

My best friend lives in a historic home and had the vinyl planks installed on the first floor. Engineered wood could not be used because of uneven floors which would have cost a fortune to even out. It looks pretty good from the pictures she has sent me, and is a medium brown, similar to a color of the era~original wood is underneath. She's happy with what she has but wishes she would have looked at others a bit higher end since she'll have them forever.

Just saying, vinyl looks like vinyl. Tile and vinyl stops many clients from purchasing a home, including me.

It may be regional, but here in NC vinyl is not found in the higher end homes. Matter of fact, anything over about $200,000 or so buyers expect ceramic or HW.

The answer is yes. I am a Realtor, and as you mentioned you should always build with resale in mind. LVP is being used in high end homes, but just make sure that you get true luxury vinyl. It needs to have the raised feel of wood and be higher quality. It is virtually indestructible, and looks great.

Here's my two cents, I am currently building and considering LVT as well. I have done a load of research and I think I have decided yes. My home will be well over a million dollars. We currently live in a 12,000 square foot home with hardwood floors we are downsizing now we are empty nesters. We love having many people over. Lots of kids pets and pool water make for a hardwood floor that never really look very great. I think that that LVF will be stress free and after looking at options they look great. I bet it might fool a few of the naysayers. We are looking for high style low maintenance and this fit the ticket.

After much research and discussion my wife and I put LVP in our entire home except the bedrooms. We decided on a higher end of the LVP choices. It looks great. Easy to clean and maintain. One of our deciding factors was when we will sell this home in about 3-5 years. It will probably be to a family with pets and/or young kids. The durability is great. Upkeep minimal. I believe it will be a great selling point.

Must be a thing in higher end homes in some parts of the country. Although in ocean or water front homes it would be useful. It would probably be not accepted in this area except in a couple of areas of the house like kitchen, family/entertainment room, and perhaps kids bathrooms. People would look at it and just say no.

This is a great thread, as many people are becoming more curious about luxury vinyl plank (LVP).) In my area, most of the luxury home developments are using laminate, which is a turn-off for many buyers. As a designer, the most requested flooring has been luxury vinyl plank. This thread started in 2016, and the LVP products continue to improve, so take that into consideration as you read the thread. Most of the flooring showrooms near me have removed most of their engineered hardwood and laminate, to focus on LVP due to demand. With lives that include wet dogs, muddy feet, and busy schedules, I think the waterproof and easy-case aspect is huge. LVP is not the only option, but it should be a contender (even for high-end homes if you're considering anything other than pure hardwood.)

As far as deciding which flooring to install, unless you're planning on selling your home in the next 4 years, buy what you love. Though a lot of my work involves helping people do pre-sale makeovers, my hope is that people don't focus so much on resale that they live with things that don't make them happy every day.

Interesting read. Our house was gutted in a fire last summer and is being repaired presently. It is time for me to start considering flooring and that's what got me here. In my market (Kelowna, BC Canada - typically dry and is considered a semi-dessert climate), there are plenty of homes in the multi-million range so I can't say we're "high end", but I suppose we're high-middle (or low-high? lol) in the $800k to $850k range for a 2700 sq ft rancher with a modest lake view. We had solid maple flooring, and that's what insurance is paying for, but I'm considering this LVT product for durability reasons. To be honest, we loved the look of our floors when we moved in, but loathed it as the years went by. BILLIONS of cat scratches made it looks shockingly bad when the sun hit it. And soooo many dents and gouges from furniture moves, etc. While experiencing a house fire and the trauma that goes along with it is something I'd never wish on anyone and hope to never have to endure again... I have to admit I smiled slightly when I realized the floor was destroyed.

I have discovered that none of the local flooring stores sell solid hardwood anymore anyway. They all tell me that engineered is the way to go in our climate, if we want wood, as it is more stable. I'm told that LVT is being put into high end homes here, and I called a realtor who said the same.

What bothers me, however, is the thought of spotting patterns. I've always been cautious with laminate for that reason. I don't want to look out across the floor and notice the same distinct knot, swirl, or feature that's repeated a hundred times. I have a keen eye for spotting patterns, which makes me good at my job but really annoys me when I see them where they shouldn't be. And on the opposite side of that, I really enjoy the natural aberrations that real wood offers. There was one spot in our hallway that had 3 knots and associated graining that looked like a sad puppy face. Even after 12 years of living there, I would look at that "puppy" almost every time I went down that hall.

Wow... I hadn't really thought about that since the fire until writing that paragraph. Crazy the kinds of things that hit you that you'll never see again. Now I'm sad :( Stupid, I know. Be fire safe, people.

bcsteeve, I am so sorry about the fire and your love/hate for that floor. I hope you find one that you love to replace it.

I totally get what you mean about the look of the floor. We have hickory engineered hardwood floors on our main level, and we have a "dragon's eye" in the foyer. Hickory is very random in color and pattern. And when we installed it 5 years ago, they said it was the best option for hickory, because it was more "stable."

bcsteeve-

I get the pattern thing. We have stone-look porcelain tile and I’ve named two of the patterns that catch my eye because they are so distinct. And I can point out exactly where they are in the house.

The high-end LVP manufacturers (I know Shaw is one of them) and products have a much larger variety of patterns than the lower end. Be sure to find out which ones before you buy!

We went through this when we built our home and took a chance on the LVP. It has been terrific! My 1 year old lab slides across it with claws out and no scratches! We are now building a lake home and are considering putting it on all floors. We, too, are worried about resale in a high end home, but it's so nice to not WORRY about the floors, think about moving out for refinishing, and mop it easily and regularly with no worries of too much water. Just concerned about resale if we ever had to sell - but hopefully this will be our final home. We used Burbank Oak from Lowes - commercial grade, and it is indestructible!

What about the sound it makes? When we were looking for a house in Florida, seven years ago, so many had vinyl floors and I hated walking on them because they make a click-clack type sound when walking on it. I learned, quickly, which houses had vinyl and walked out. I told our RA not to show us any houses with vinyl flooring because it sounded so cheap when you came in the door.

Some looked so real that I didn't realize it wasn't hardwood until we walked on it. Plus it doesn't have that heavy feel underfoot that hardwood has.

We bought a house with engineered hard wood and that was new to me also. But the floors are beautiful and have stayed that way over the years.

My fear with engineered hard wood is putting it in kitchens or bathrooms in the event of a leak. We have tile in the kitchen now and I always had tile before this house. Easy-peasy if there's a leak. But engineered hard wood would probably buckle in a flood.

I'd consider LVP but hate the sound it makes walking on it plus the chance of a flood.

Jane

LVP is completely waterproof - so no worries there. I have it in every room of the house and it's been perfect in the bathrooms! BUT - yes on the difference in sound. The sound vinyl makes doesn't bother me - but rather the sound it doesn't make. I like the deep sound of wood when walking across so I know what you mean. Truthfully, with 4 kids and a dog, we better because vinyl is quieter, and I'm not awakened by kiddos early in the morning or late at night (they're teens) as they move around. Ditto with guests. If it was just me and the hubby, I'd go with hardwood. But we've got a lot of kiddos, visitors, and a lab - and I'd rather not be worrying about the floors. Life is short.

@jane_ny ...I wonder if the floors you are talking about ( sound you didn’t like) might have been laminate and not vinyl planks? Laminate flooring can have that click clack sound. I’ve never heard it with vinyl planks.

The LVP in our home is pretty quiet when you walk on it. Also after we installed we noticed the floors were also warmer. Our Coretec LVP has been tested with friends, dogs, kids and we have yet to see one scratch or worn surface after over a year of installation.

I imagine there's a huge difference in sound between gluing it to a concrete subfloor on the bottom and putting it on top of hardyboard on a 2nd or 3rd floor...

I walked around quite a few floors today and the first thing that I noticed was the clickity clack hollow sound the highest end, newest LVP has. It clearly is not engineered wood or hardwood no matter how good it looks and how high quality underlayment it is. However, it's clear that there are plenty of people who do not notice this and just like it for the look and ease of use. It's also a popular choice of rentals because it doesnt scratch and is durable.

For my personal use, I would never use anything other than hardwood or engineered (which doesn't have to be too expensive) and tile for the wet areas. But I am extremely picky and particular about those things, and from all the people I've talked to, it's clear I am in the 1-5% and not the majority. I'm going ahead with the install of LVP in a high end home for rental and not worrying about resale because it's just going to look better where the floors are uniform throughout.

Other than Shaw and Coretec, what do people think about NuCore from Floor & Decor? Do the brands in Lowes and Floor & Decor compare to the Shaws , Southern Traditions, Farmstead Woods and other premium LVPs you see in specialist stores?

You want a thick wear layer of at least 12mil. The higher the wear layer the better the quality and the durability of the LVP. When I shopped Home Depot or Lowes they had wear layers of 8mil and the highest was 10mil. They may have improved this over the last few years. Coretec, Shaw and Armstrong are rated very well for LVP. Do you research about how to care for these floors also. Remember to put felt pads under all furniture and especially furniture that is moved often. Also watch the rubber padding in rugs. It can have a chemical reaction with the LVP and cause staining. You can buy a special type of padding for LVP flooring on the internet that is not that expensive. Good luck!

Yes, I am only looking at 20, 22 mil layer. I know 30 is for heavy commercial use.

I would never buy a higher end home with LVP flooring.

High end homes with LVP proves the saying They Don't Make Them LIke They Used To.

I have to laugh when the tract builders advertise "LVP standard!" That alone should tell you something.

It is so hard when people post photos saying something looks great and you look at it and think OMG that looks awful and is so obviously not tile or wood.

You can't possibly reply, Sorry your floor looks cheap and fake.

Then the absence of criticism makes other people think "See, it IS OK!"

Quite the online conundrum.

I wonder if you hear how you sound? This thread was from 5 years ago, when LVT was making its way into people's vernacular. Now it is practically a given. Yes, LVT is fine in any home. There are styles and budgets for everyone. It *is* OK to use LVT, and your suggesting that only people trying to be polite world say otherwise shows how out of touch you are.

The whole concept of "higher end" is tough though. A 2 dollar mansion in rural Florida vs a 2 million dollar teardown in Vancouver. It is all relative. But in any case, LVT as a choice should be more about function than what some old biddy on the internet might think.

"Tract builders advertising LVP standard" without specifying quality tells me that it is a popular standard that many want and they can meet. The devil is always in the quality details. Advertising says we are among the best and use the best. Not specifying quality is the tract play you want to be careful of IMO.

This thread is now 6 years old

I'm looking at a high end tile that looks like wood vs LVP. I can't stand the shin splints I get from walking barefoot on stone but don't get that from LVP. Anyone else?

I used a tile that looked like wood in a rental condo we have, I loved the look, it is so easy to maintain, it was hard on you body. I have lvp in my home, it is easier on you body gives a bit. It is not like real hardwood, I don't regret putting it in but I had hardwood in my previous home and it is the Cadillac of flooring.

What I've learned from six years of posts: LVP obviously has a place in homes with dogs, swarming children, water, water everywhere, arthritic joints, tenants and where budgets are strained.

In our neck of the woods, even entry level higher-end homes in the C$4m+ range largely eschew LVP. (I bit my lip to avoid saying "so called" Luxury.)

My parents downsized for the 4th time and their latest house has LVP. It looks nice in their house and they picked a medium brown tone, so not a trendy color. Their last 2 houses had tile and houses before that had hardwood.

I built last year and installed engineered wood floors through most of the house. I kept an open mind and did take a look at LVP when doing my research, but I didn't like the look and my DH hated how they sounded when he walked on large sample areas installed in the flooring showrooms. These days you are seeing the LVP being installed in higher end homes here in FL and buyers seem to accept it just fine, specially closer to the beaches. A couple of years ago I had started seeing the ceramic core floors with a wood veneer in Los Angeles, specially for mid/high end flips.

I am redoing my first floor after 18 years. I live in a high end neighborhood. I’m looking at 8” wide Twelve Oaks Surewood Plus Luxury Vinyl flooring over my 2 1/4” thin real hardwood flooring on the entire first floor. So far with all of my shopping this looked the most real wood like. It is not cheap either at $6.75 uninstalled. I am nervous for resale but real wood will be underneath the click system so I’m hoping it will be ok.

Why would you put a fake petroleum product over a 2 1/4" wood floor that so many covet. Refinish the real wood. It would be cheaper and would hold up a heck of a lot longer.

I have decided with all of your input to NOT use the vinyl flooring. Thanks for the input!

Issue is I hate the 2 1/4” wide planks soo dated .

Have it refinished and re-stained in a more current color, specially if yours lean more orange. Get them re-stained in a light/medium brown.

You have real wood ... why would you be looking at something that "looked the most real wood like"? That doesn't make sense at all!

Putting lvp over an old wood floor may void your lvp warranty. That is what i was told. I had low quality engineered Bruce wood floors. My LVP is an upgrade for us. Personally, though, a solid wood floor with no water damage that can be refinished and stained however you want and then protected with a high quality topcoat is never dated. I grew up in a home with those and they were indestructible. The engineered prefinished wide plank stuff people are using these days can never compete in quality

We just purchased a $2 million home that has stark white porcelain tile. There were no other homes to choose from so we bought it. We are considering putting luxury vinyl plank over the tile, but I am worried about it hurting our resale prospects. I know I will love the way it looks betterthan the stark shiny white tile I have right now. That also shows everything. I am just torn about the way it sounds and the turn off for resale. Any feedback would be welcome.

Hi, im the original poster in this thread. Hard to believe its been 8 years. We still love our whole-house, same-style vinyl plank floors. So easy to clean and keep clean. Plenty of minor water leaks/spills that did no damage. Easy on the joints. Inexpensive at the time. No regrets. Zero. It was the right decision for us. YMMV

Renita it’s not a good idea to install vinyl plank over tile. The click lock will fail over time. If you plan to redo the floors you are best off to remove the tile.